🛑 Just Stop It❗️ Open Thread

In the wake of the terrible shooting of Representative Scalise, the Capital Police Officers and the Congressional Aids I wanted to take the high road. I tried not to point the finger at the violent rhetoric that has come from the left since Trump was elected as the cause even though I believe that it contributed to the end result.

I tried. I failed.

Ultimately the one to blame was a sick, hominid, who felt, as so many before him that his misery or belief allowed him to kill others. It is never right. It is always wrong.

However when in the wake of this terrible event certain disgusting elements of our society, mostly on the left but some anti-Trumpers on the right, attempted to place the blame for this Trump-hating individual’s action on Donald Trump, that’s just too much. Just. Stop. It.

I expected, and saw, a lot of Kumbaya moments the past two days. I also saw some horrible people saying some horrible things.

For a few moments even Nancy Pelosi, who never stops accusing her opponents of every unthinkable act under the sun, actually acted like a decent human being. I wish I believed she actually meant the decent things she said. The history of her rhetoric says not. Buried somewhere under the politician there may still be a decent human being. I doubt it. Sorry, I just do.

For her and all others like her, you cannot relentlessly, remorselessly spew venom for days, years, decades and remain a decent human being. It simply isn’t possible.

Pelosi on political discourse: it didn’t use to be this way, somewhere in the 90s republicans decided on politics of personal destruction.

Oh. I wonder what Clarence Thomas, or Robert Bork, or Barry Goldwater might have to say about this analysis. Or Alexander Hamilton for that matter. How cartoonishly obtuse.~ Guy Benson

What I believe is expressed by a cartoonist I don’t usually follow because I don’t like his ideology or POV. But this time I think he got the hypocrisy of politics exactly right.

Donald J. Trump acted presidential for a moment, and then he started tweeting again and ruined his moment. Mr. President, Just. Stop. It.

Sen. Sherrod Brown accused a reporter on Wednesday of practicing “fake journalism” for asking whether Democrats have played any role in using violent, partisan rhetoric in the wake of President Trump’s election victory last year.

Brown, D-Ohio, told reporters in a hallway interview that President Trump has chosen to “divide and name call” rather than serve as “the healer in chief.” When asked by the Washington Examiner if Democrats have also played a role in dividing the nation with their heated opposition to Trump and the GOP, Brown called that “a false equivalency” used by editors of newspapers, including the Washington Examiner and the Wall Street Journal.

He said that tactic from those news outlets “would be called, in another era, fake journalism.”

Unbelievable! What a creep! Just. Stop. It.

MSNBC’s Mike Brzezinski graciously allowing that perhaps the blame shouldn’t be placed “squarely” on Trump, but opining that he’s certainly adding to the nation’s “dangerous climate:”

I know it’s only pin-headed Mika but this is on national television and her new boyfriend didn’t push back much did he? Guess he doesn’t want to sleep on the couch.

The ever repulsive Glenn Thrush “tweeted” out this little bit of rubbish:

Any debate about civility in politics begins with Trump. No one has degraded discourse more, while embracing the fringe. Fact, not opinion.

Because all was civil and kind and honest until Trump came along. Give me a frickin break! Who believes this drivel?

I am not here to try to make the right seem like innocents. They too engage in hateful rhetoric. I’ve done it myself so – mea culpa. But I’ve seen little from Republicans that rises to the level of hate and ugliness we see all too often from the left. If I’m missing it then show me where.

When a loony lefty does something terrible it’s always reported as an isolated incident. No blame is assigned to their party or ideology.

When a lunatic from the right does something he/she/it is reported as representative of ALL those on the right and ALL those on the right must answer for and apologize for that behavior.

I respect and admire Ben Shapiro. I almost always agree with him. But can we always take the high road?

In the aftermath of a Trump-hating Bernie Sanders-supporting Rachel Maddow-watching leftist targeting Republican Congressmen for assassination, many conservatives and Republicans have fallen into the trap of blaming typical political rhetoric for the attack.

I love Ben but it seems to me that taking the “high road” has gotten the right, well, shot. I will grant him that many of the anti-Trump and pro-Trump right have gone out of their fuzzy little minds and often speak like some loony lefty. The difference is, the right is called on their nonsense, the left is not.

Most of the country only sees what flashes across their television screen. Far too many, in spite of voicing a distrust of media, believe what they see and hear if what they see and hear meshes with their own preconceived notions.

I do know and understand that “An eye for an eye” ends with the whole world blind. I believe that. But what can honest, decent people do? How can we make the ugly language and accusations from both sides stop?

Ben says:

Here’s the danger: Republicans, in an effort to finally turn Democrats’ “toxic politics” strategy on Democrats, legitimize the strategy.

I hadn’t thought of it that way.

But can’t I be just a little angry, just a little bit willing to fight back? Please Ben.

Ultimately I know that only we the people can make this stop. When we refuse to watch the ugliness and when we refuse to vote for ugly-rhetoric politicians.

My problem with that is I don’t think enough of us will do that. I think far too many will join the hate being spewed by their tribe. Oh how I wish I didn’t believe that.

Meanwhile we can love and cherish those nearest and dearest and we can refuse to join in the ugliness. We can pray for decency and honesty to stage a comeback. Even when we are infuriated.

20 Responses to “🛑 Just Stop It❗️ Open Thread”

Sadly, no – that was exactly what I was thinking abt when I read your excellent piece, Marge. Pelosi has already dropped the civility mantle, stomped on it, and left it in the mud. It took her less than 24 hrs to stop.

Excellent, excellent post. I hear what Ben is saying, and he makes a great point, as he so often does. But yeah, I think we can be mad abt it first. Heck, maybe we SHOULD be mad abt it first so people finally start standing up to these liberal bullies who always get to frame things THEIR way, no matter how very wrong they are.

Oh, I agree completely – I hope I didn’t imply that we should join them in the mud. That is not what I meant if it sounded that way. I meant that we can fight back against the Dems and their rhetoric the right way, but fight we must…

Whew – just checking to make sure I phrased it correctly. I knocked a glass hummingbird feeder on my head at Tractor Supply this afternoon trying to get something else, and all of a sudden, blood was dripping all over me (small cut, as it turned out, thank heavens).

So yeah, wasn’t sure if I phrased it correctly after that little knock on the ol’ noggin. So thanks for that! 😀

To be clear, the animal who pulled the trigger is solely responsible for his actions. But unless we find that James T. Hodgkinson suffered from an acute mental illness, I see him as a Kathy Griffin Democrat who turned her “comedy” into action.

A recent post on his Facebook page reads:

“Trump is a Traitor. Trump Has Destroyed Our Democracy. It’s Time to Destroy Trump & Co.”

Sadly, there is nothing unusual about those words. They are actually quite common these days.

I frequently get letters from Trump-haters saying something almost identical. He’s a bigot, he’s un-American, he’s a traitor — and so are you for supporting him.

I hope you die. I hope your children die.

Yes, Americans actually write those things to other Americans over political differences. And they sign their names, as if it’s normal.

Two things we know Hillary would never do. And still some of the #NeverTrump people are saying we would be better off with her because he’s making the right look bad or something.

I can’t help but think they care as little about the country as they claim he does. If they get their way, and many want him to be impeached so Pence can be POTUS there will be more trouble than they can even imagine.

They call the Trump voters names and denigrate them but how do they think to win elections without them?

Stupid, foolish, angry people who cannot move on from their disappointment. If I hadn’t been able to move on I’d have been miserable most of my adult life. The person I supported seldom made it past the primary let alone into the
White House.

I still think Scott Walker would make a very good president. Not brilliant, not charismatic just a good hardworking man that knows how things work. And a man that know how to govern when all around you are going nuts. Like the lunatics he faced down in Madison back in 2011.

No kidding Clinton wouldn’t have done any of the things Trump has done, like rolling back the giveaways to a Communist dictator for which we got NOTHING in return including pledges to stop oppressing their people; rolling back DAPA, pushing for tax reform, or a change in Obamacare. No way would she have done ANY of those things. I thought those things were what many in the middle and on the right wanted.

So why are the #NeverTrumpers not happy with that?

Yeah, their hatred puts them on the same level as those on the Left who claim Trump is not a “legitimate President” (thank you for that, Rep. Cummings). Seriously. How are they different?

People really need to just get a grip in this country, stop acting like big crybabies, and grow the hell up already.

Sadly the media continues to fueling the animosity thru its newsy reports and tell all program.

Tonight ABC 20/20 2 hour program is called Watergate – Truth & Lies

‘Exploring the 1972 break-in of the Democratic National Committee’s headquarters that led to President Nixon’s resignation and the convictions of dozens of administration officials. Features never-before-seen Super 8 home movies taken by Nixon’s top White House aides, including H.R. Haldeman and John Ehrlichman, exclusive photos of the Watergate crime scene, and interviews with the key players who lived through the scandal.’

Thanks Cindi. I am so tired of all the rancor. Tired of the hyperbolic nonsense we read and hear every day. There are a lot of us that feel that way. Both left and right. We just need to make the media and the pols aware that we want them to ratchet their crap down.

Oh and Hollywood “stars” – we don’t care what you think. You have every right to your opinion and to voiceing it. Just be aware that once you do that some of us have every right to be so disgusted that we don’t watch your “product” and fund you lifestyle any longer. Words mean something and actions have consequences.